Water conservation and access to water is a growing concern around the world. In many towns and municipalities there are watering restrictions during times of little rainfall or drought. People have responded favorably to ideas that allow for rainwater to be collected and stored for later use such as gardening and other outdoor purposes. However, until now the options for collecting rainwater have been limited to the use of underground cisterns or varying designs of large, unattractive rain barrels. There are a number of existing patents for devices to collect and store rainwater. However, many of these are variations of the large, unsightly barrel design. Because of the unattractive and cumbersome designs of existing patented devices, rain collection systems are not as widely used as they could be. There are two prevailing reasons for this. First, until now, one has to compromise a pleasing appearance for utility. Second, any utility that may be realized is further compromised by the fact that barrels can overflow causing large amounts of water to pool at or near the foundation of a dwelling. This can cause erosion or saturation at the foundation level of the building or dwelling. The fact that existing devices are unattractive will cause many people to forego their use because they would only place a barrel type device where it could not be seen publicly due to the diminution of curb appeal that is present with existing devices.
Some existing rain collection devices can filter debris and some cannot. Of those devices containing filters, many have them positioned such that the tank or barrel must be opened to clean or change the filter. This can be both complicated and inconvenient for the user. If the device has no filter, debris will easily enter the device wherein water is stored. If this happens, it can cause a problem with water egress causing further complications with use of the device.
The need exists for an improved rainwater collection device that is simple to use and attractive in both form and function.